Sump pump cover

ABSTRACT

Sump pump covers of wood and steel are most frequently used to provide covers over the open sump where water is collected and must be exhausted from time to time. The present invention is a sump pump cover of dome-like flexible construction, and having a radial slot which permits the outlet of the sump to pass therethrough. The cover has locking members at its undersurface which are adjustable and which are spaced from each other to engage the interior surface of the sump opening to locate the cover whereby the outer edge of the cover extends beyond and completely encloses the sump opening. The cover is flexible and because of its curvature tends to shed surface contaminants and foreign objects. The outer edge of the cover allows water to seep past and enter the sump.

United States Patent Humphrey SUMP PUMP COVER [72] Inventor: Burnice LeeHumphrey, 404 West Race Street, Portland, Ind.

221 Filed: March 25,1971

211 Appl. No.: 128,043

[52] US. Cl. ..52/19, 49/463, 137/371, 220/24 R, 220/42 B [51] Int. Cl...F16j 13/02 [58] Field of Search ..52/l9, 82, 80, 302; 137/371,137/382, 296, 381; 49/463, 464; 220/42 B,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,718,344 9/1955 Troster..137/381 X 3,363,797 1/1968 Roese ..220/24 R 5] Oct. 24, 1972 PrimaryExaminer-Price C. Faw, Jr. Attorney-John A. Young ABSTRACT Sump pumpcovers of wood and steel are most frequently used to provide covers overthe open sump where water is collected and must be exhausted from timeto time. The present invention is a sump pump cover of dome-likeflexible construction, and having a radial slot which permits the outletof the sump to pass therethroug h. The cover has locking members at itsundersurface which are adjustable and which are spaced from each otherto engage the interior surface of the sump opening to locate the coverwhereby the outer edge of the cover extends beyond and completelyencloses the sump opening. The cover is flexible and because of itscurvature tends to shed surface contaminants and foreign objects. Theouter edge of the cover 'allows water to seep past and enter the sump.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDUET 2 m2 3 699.730

F 5 INVENTOR BURNICE L. HUMPHREY BYgoflwvcb ATTORNEY SUMP PUMP COVERBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Virtually all of the present sump pumpcovers are either of wood or steel construction; they tend to beexpensive and are objectionably fragile or ill-suited to the.

basis purpose of being both a cover and resistant to corrosion which iscommonly encountered from sump water.

What is needed is a material of construction which is impervious towater and is relatively unaffected by water, while at the same timebeing flexible so that it will not or cannot easily be broken, yetlightweight so that it can be removed from time to time if servicing isrequired such as cleaning or removal of the sump pump or sump motor.

Accordingly, it is one of the principal objects of the present inventionto provide a lightweight and easily constructed sump cover which isconstructed of plastic material and is flexible so that in the eventthat it is walked on, it will flex without breaking.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a standard sumppump cover which will fit a considerable range in size of sump openingsby means of simple, adjustable locating members which are disposed atthe undersurface of the sump cover.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a readilymanufacturable sump cover of fiber-reinforced plastic composition whichcan be manufactured in large quantities to yield an inexpensive productwhich has an unlimited wear life.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom a consideration of the following description which proceeds withreference to the accompanying drawings.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevation view of the cover detached from thepump;

FIG. 2 is a section view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view taken through the sump showing the pump inoperative position, the view being taken on section line 33 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the sump pump and cover in operative position;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of the invention,having a different insert for covering the radial slot; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings, the sumppump cover designated generally by reference numeral 10 is a flexible,glass-fiber reinforced plastic composition; one suitable plasticmaterial is acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, it being understood thatreference to this material is intended solely for purposes of example,and is not by way of limitation.

The cover is a part spherical or curved configuration as indicated inFIG. 3, and the outer edge 12 of the cover extends beyond the outerperiphery of sump opening 14. The edge contacts surface 16 of the floorin the vicinity of the opening, and is light enough in contact so thatwater can flow between the cover 10 and the floor l6 and enter opening14. The sump pump cover has a radial slot 18 so that a pipe 20 which exhausts fluid from within the sump can pass through the cover.

The sump pump 21 rests on the bottom 22 and is actuated by a motor 24 toexhaust water from the sump through pipe 20. Cover 10 is locatedrelatively to the opening by means of three circumferentially spacedlocating members 28, 30 and 32. These locators are also of plasticcomposition, and each consists of a leg 34 which is slightly curved inorder to conform with the undersurface 36 of the cover, and has anelongated track 38 which can permit radial adjustment of the locatingmember.

A transverse leg 40 of each locator engages the surface of the side wallof the sump opening 14, thereby properly locating the sump coverrelative to the sump opening. The legs 34 and 40 are strengthened by arib 42 which connects the two legs as indicated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Thelocators are adjusted radially by means of screws 44 which are passedthrough openings in the cover and are passed through track 38. Once thelocator is disposed in a radial sense at the proper location, nuts 46are then turned down to hold the locators so they can no longer moveradially and are then held in place in accordance with the particulardiametral size of the opening of the sump pump well. There are threesets of radially spaced openings which are drilled in the cover so thatthe locators can be varied considerably to accommodate for differentsize sump openings.

Once the cover is in place, it is quite flexible and can bend withoutbreaking. Thus, should children or adults step on the cover, it willflex without breaking.

The convex configuration of the cover being higher level at the centerthan at the outer periphery will tend to cause any objects which comeonto the surface to roll off the surface of the cover, preventing entryof foreign objects into the well of the sump.

The sump cover can be finished in any desirable color.

Once the sump is in place, the slot 18 can be covered either with a.series of inserts designated generally by reference numeral 48 andhaving bendable fingers which are located on opposite sides of the sumpcover, and which because of their resiliency, will tend to be held inplace, or, as indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6, a single insert designatedgenerally by reference numeral 50 and having longitudinal slots 52 and54 along the opposite edges may be proportioned to slide over andsubstantially fill the radial slot 18. Referring to FIG. 6, slots 52, 54are proportioned to receive and grip the edges of 18 and are held inplace in this manner so that virtually the entire upper portion of thesump is covered and is protected against entry of foreign objects.

It is within the teaching of the present invention, that the track 38can be located in the cover 10 or the locator 28 to provide the radialadjustment.

Although the present invention has been illustrated and described inconnection with a single example embodiment, it will be understood thatthis is illustrative of the invention and is by no means restrictivethereof. It is reasonably to be expected that those skilled in this artcan make numerous revisions and adaptations of the invention, and it isintended that such revisions and adaptations will be included within thescope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A cover member for sump pumps having domed configuration andproportioned to extend over the open end of a sump, a radial slotthrough which outlet pipes can extend from within said sump, a removableinsert which is received within said slot and adapted to form a closurethereof, and a plurality of spaced locating members at the convexundersurface of said cover and having adjustable means for radialadjustment thereof whereby said cover is locatable relatively to thesump to provide a complete cover thereof, means for clamping saidlocating members for holding said locating members in place.

2. The cover in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cover is comprisedof a flexible reinforced with glass fibers plastic material.

3. The cover in accordance with claim 2 wherein said plastic material iscomprised of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.

4. A cover in accordance with claim 1 wherein said locating members areeach comprised of a leg having a track and proportioned to conform withthe curved undersurface of said cover and adapted to receivetherethrough fastening members which extend transversely through saidcover, said track providing radially adjustable movement, a transversedepending leg integrally formed with said locating member and engageablewith side wall of said sump, and a reinforcing rib constructedintegrally with said first mentioned leg and with said depending leg toeffect structural reinforcement.

5. A structure in accordance with claim 1, including two notchesconstructed integrally within longitudinal edges of said insert andproportioned to receive the confronting edges of said radial notches forinsertion and removal.

6. The structure in accordance with claim 1 including clamping screwswhich are received through openings in said cover and the complementarytracks of said locating members to mechanically secure such locatingmembers in place.

7. The cover in accordance with claim 1, wherein said cover member isconstructed of flexible organic composition material of glass reinforcedpolymeric composition.

8. A sump cover construction comprising a domelike flexibleconfiguration including a radial slot and proportioned so that the outeredges overlie and extend beyond the outer edge of the sump pump opening,and a plurality of locating members at the undersurface of said coveradapted to engage the interior of the sump pump opening to define theproper location of the cover, and adjusting means for radially lockingsaid respective locating members.

9. The cover in accordance with claim 8 including an insert which isinsertable within said slot and held therein by interfitment of theconfronting edges of said insert and said slot.

1. A cover member for sump pumps having domed configuration andproportioned to extend over the open end of a sump, a radial slotthrough which outlet pipes can extend from within said sump, a removableinsert which is received within said slot and adapted to form a closurethereof, and a plurality of spaced locating members at the convexundersurface of said cover and having adjustable means for radialadjustment thereof whereby said cover is locatable relatively to Thesump to provide a complete cover thereof, means for clamping saidlocating members for holding said locating members in place.
 2. Thecover in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cover is comprised of aflexible reinforced with glass fibers plastic material.
 3. The cover inaccordance with claim 2 wherein said plastic material is comprised ofacrylonitrile butadiene styrene.
 4. A cover in accordance with claim 1wherein said locating members are each comprised of a leg having a trackand proportioned to conform with the curved undersurface of said coverand adapted to receive therethrough fastening members which extendtransversely through said cover, said track providing radiallyadjustable movement, a transverse depending leg integrally formed withsaid locating member and engageable with side wall of said sump, and areinforcing rib constructed integrally with said first mentioned leg andwith said depending leg to effect structural reinforcement.
 5. Astructure in accordance with claim 1, including two notches constructedintegrally within longitudinal edges of said insert and proportioned toreceive the confronting edges of said radial notches for insertion andremoval.
 6. The structure in accordance with claim 1 including clampingscrews which are received through openings in said cover and thecomplementary tracks of said locating members to mechanically securesuch locating members in place.
 7. The cover in accordance with claim 1,wherein said cover member is constructed of flexible organic compositionmaterial of glass reinforced polymeric composition.
 8. A sump coverconstruction comprising a dome-like flexible configuration including aradial slot and proportioned so that the outer edges overlie and extendbeyond the outer edge of the sump pump opening, and a plurality oflocating members at the undersurface of said cover adapted to engage theinterior of the sump pump opening to define the proper location of thecover, and adjusting means for radially locking said respective locatingmembers.
 9. The cover in accordance with claim 8 including an insertwhich is insertable within said slot and held therein by interfitment ofthe confronting edges of said insert and said slot.